If your deck belt shows signs of wear and becomes ragged, you will begin to notice your lawn mower performing poorly. A slipping belt or the occasional smoking belt are just a couple of problems that will affect the mower deck belt’s lifespan. Here we will investigate how long a mower deck belt should last under typical conditions, as well as the factors that can significantly reduce your deck belt’s lifespan, and discover what you can do to avoid this.
What’s the Expected Lifespan of a Mower Deck Belt?
There is no specific timeframe that a deck belt should last for. However, for the cutting of an average lawn, you should comfortably achieve 3 to 4 years without a problem.
Factors that Could Impact How Long a Mower Deck Belt Lasts
I have listed factors that I have experienced using different lawn mowers that affect the deck belts’ lifespan. The condition of the lawn mower and the demand you put on it will in large part govern the lifespan of the deck belt. Let’s run through what these are.
Natural Wear of the Belt
The first item to understand is that a deck belt does have a natural lifespan. Therefore, even if the belt receives perfect treatment, maintenance, and ideal mowing conditions, it will still wear down and need replacing. Bearing this in mind, you’ll understand why some belts are cheaper than others.
Length of the Grass
Heading out to cut a lawn that resembles a jungle will stress the deck belt. Lawn mowers are looking for a nice yard to cut, hence the name. They are not suited to cutting vegetation that is above their capabilities. I’m sometimes guilty of running my mower in areas that it is not designed for, like property boundaries where the grass is very tall.
Mowing Things Other Than Grass
If you happen to chop up the driveway or garden hose from time to time, you’ll be causing sudden impacts to the belt. These sudden impacts will wear down sections of the belt and cause a dip in its surface. Additionally, chewing up a garden hose that completely stops a blade will put immense wear on the belt that can not only damage it, but can also cause your deck belt to jump off (another common problem).
How Clean the Deck is Kept
The build-up of grass and other materials in the deck area is one of the more common factors that can reduce the mower deck belts’ lifespan. Excessive build-up in this area will act as sandpaper against the belt, wearing it down with every revolution.
Free Spinning Pulleys
Pulleys become sluggish and even seize when they are not maintained correctly. The high-speed rotation of the deck belt over defective pulleys will knock off days of use with each turn. If this continues, these days will quickly turn to months of lost lifespan.
Tension of the Deck Belt.
Belt tension serves two purposes. 1. It allows for added flexibility in the belt during operation. 2. Compensates for belt stretching over time. These items work with defined ranges. Too much tension will damage the belt and cause stretching, whereas too little tension can cause it to sag. Incorrect tension reduces the mower deck belt’s lifespan and leads to pulley and tension spring issues.
Keeping Up With the Belt Adjustment
Like having the correct tension on the belt, keeping up with the deck belt tension adjuster is also a factor. Some lawn mowers have an adjustment on the tensioner, increasing tension as the belt stretches. Forgetting to increase this tension adjuster will lead to the belt wearing quicker.
Tips to Help You Extend the Lifespan of Your Mower Deck Belt
Now that you have learned some of the different factors that affect belt wear and know how long a mower deck belt should last, we’ll run through all the things you can do to increase your mower deck belt lifespan.
Buying Better Quality Belts
When purchasing a new belt, head for the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) parts or the manufacturer’s recommendation. Remember, you get what you pay for.
Check the Length of the Grass
If you come across long grass, reach for a weed whacker. A weed whacker is designed specifically for this task and will make the work fast and easy. Of course, once finished, you can always head back over it with the lawn mower to tidy up the area.
Clean Up the Yard First
If you see anything on the lawn that should not be there, move it out of the way. This may include sticks, palm fronds, and even the garden hose and toys. If you think you may be getting too close to the driveway, grab the weed whacker.
Blow Off the Deck
Keeping the deck clean is super important. You should do this whenever you start to see a build-up of debris. Make sure the mower is switched off and disabled so it cannot start, and clear it out. I like to do this with a leaf blower and get every little bit out.
Greasing Up the Pulleys
Checking that the pulleys are spinning smoothly is best done by removing the belt. First, check to see that the pulleys operate correctly, and then check for any rough edges. If you notice that the pulley mechanism is performing poorly, add some grease to it. If grease doesn’t help, then you will need to replace the pulley. For rough pulley edges, use a file to knock them off and form a blunt surface.
Having the Correct Tension on the Deck Belt
If your lawn mower doesn’t have a tension adjuster, you’ll solely rely on the tension spring. In this situation, the belt will only ever become slack. The spring could have stretched out if wear seems to happen too quickly. Signs of a worn-out spring are excessive wear on the sides of the belt, belt slipping, and a lot of movement in the belt. If this is the case, then a new spring is in order. Just be sure that the problem isn’t actually an old and stretched belt. I like to compare the old spring with a new one, and if there’s a significant difference in length, then I’m always confident it’s the spring.
Keeping up With the Belt Adjustment
When a belt excessively wears on the sides, the tension tends to be too slack. Likewise, when the belt wears on the face excessively, then the belt is likely too tight. By keeping an eye on the belt, you should be able to tell if the tension on your belt needs to be adjusted, and can then take the necessary action before any damage is done.
Dressing the Belt
The last thing that I like to do is dress the deck belt with a belt dressing spray. With everything set correctly and running smoothly, a belt dresser will extend the lifespan even longer. These sprays keep the rubber supple and flexible, making for a more leisurely ride around the pulleys.
My D160 belt has broken 4 times in 6 yrs since purchased new. The first time a stick got into the pulley. The second time a rock got into the pulley. The last 2 times the pulley just snapped in two with no evidence of wear or obstruction. What could be the cause? The last time I was just blowing off my asphalt driveway.
Hi Galen,
If you have carried out a good inspection and you’re happy that everything looks ok, such as no sharp edges on pulleys or anything like that, then I would definitely check what tension you are setting the new belts at.
If you take a look at the manual you will find the deflection setting of the belt. This is, to be honest, something that most people are not aware even exists. It could be a case that you are over-tensioning the belt and causing the belt to snap.
It’s pretty obvious when a belt is slack since it looks baggy and makes a noise when engaged. On the other hand, an over-tensioned belt isn’t so obvious. Search for a belt tension gauge somewhere like Harbor Freight and check what you are setting your belt at. The gauge takes all the guesswork out of the situation and can save you a lot of money in the long run from buying new belts and even new pulleys.
Good luck, and thanks for your comment!
Cheers, Tom.